Mafia's Devil part 7

My eyes feel heavy. My entire face is numb from all my crying, but the ache in my chest is as fiery as ever. It’s an unfair contrast.

It has been a week since my blood, sweat, and tears burned down to a crisp. he restaurant hadn’t made it to its first year of opening. The news outlets was all over the case. “Bad luck”, they called it.

I know it’s not bad luck, though, and so does my insurance company. They’ve rejected paying me out, because an investigation revealed foul play was involved in the incident. My only chance of getting back on my feet is borrowing my father’s money.

Everything I worked for was for nothing. I have no restaurant, my friends are out of a job, and my pride is sorely bruised.

I stare at my monitor and play the video of the fire for the millionth time. I acquired the footage from a neighbor as I investigated.

Luciano’s girlfriend appears between two buildings and watches the flames engulf the restaurant. She stands there for five minutes even after the firefighters arrive, just enjoying the heat that the destruction is emitting. Luciano appears. He takes her arm and tugs her away. They leave the camera’s line of sight, leaving my restaurant crying black tears from their transgression.

If I was an amateur, I would hand the footage to the police for a criminal investigation. But I’m bigger than that. I know Luciano has connections, and his girlfriend is the Mayor’s daughter. They’re a dynamic duo that would only blow this up on my face.

I have to take them down myself. I have to take what’s dearest to them, just like they did to me.

According to the tabloids, Luciano is precious to the Mayor’s daughter. It was harder to investigate what Luciano loves, but I think his money is a good guess. I will take what they both love. I’ll take Luciano’s money, and I’ll take him from that witch. Somehow, someway, I’m going to marry him with a prenup.

My fingers dig into my fleshy palms. This is a ridiculous plan that demands time, lies, and risk, but if successful, it would destroy them.

First, I need Luciano’s heart.

— LUCIANO —

“Son.”

My father walks into my office. It’s odd seeing him here. He doesn’t typically linger around.

I toss my pen on the desk and lean back on my grand chair.

“There’s a problem with the Russians.” He locks the door and sits across from me.

A slip of a Russian enters my mind. It’s Karine. The female is way too tiny to be taking so much space in my mind.

My father hands me an envelope. I open it, and my bored expression morphs to surprise. It usually does when Karine is involved.

In the envelope is a photograph of us. My hand is high in the air, ready to fall on Karine’s petite ass.

I stare at my twinkling diamond-encrusted watch that’s strapped to the raised hand. I remember this night too well. My hand memorized the gentle swell of Karine’s bottom. This photograph from our recent encounter when she keyed my car. Someone captured our encounter.

“Maksim is seething. You know this girl is his family.”

Woman, I want to correct him. Karine is all woman.

I shrug. “What the fuck will he do about it?”

“Since when do you mess around with Kuznetsov women?”

“Are we here to talk business, or about who I shove my cock into?”

Father looks unimpressed. “Maksim will retaliate.”

I know, because I would do the same thing. I destroy, but I protect what’s fucking mine, too.

“I’ll be ready for him. Is that all you had to report?”

“No. I know you’re young and your pride is thicker than your head, but you need to avoid this mess. Things were stable with the Russians for some time, and we can’t let this minor incident ruin it. We need to convince Karine’s father to talk Maksim out of anger.”

“You want me to beg?” I bark a laugh. “I’d let the empire fall before I crawl to the feet of another man.”

“It’s not begging, Luciano. We will negotiate. Offer him something for the disrespect of his daughter.”

“That was no disrespect. That was punishment for her insolence. She destroyed my property. That car costs more than her little mansion. Would you have preferred that I leveled it?”

He scowls. “It doesn’t matter. The damage is done. I hear her restaurant burned down. Offer to pay for repairs. Throw money at the problem to get Maksim to shut the fuck up.”

“No.”

Her restaurant burning down is not my problem.

My father looks infuriated. I normally wouldn’t care, but the man has had depreciating health after decades of heavy drinking. He’s gotten worse recently. It would be inconvenient to lose him over this petty argument.

I decide to compromise.

“I’ll call truce over the gun trading incident. I'll give him my word that I forgive the slight and won’t retaliate only if he tells Maksim to stop his bitching and bickering.”

“Good.” My father stands. “I will call him and set the meeting at his home tonight. Does that work for you?”

“Yes.”

Damn Karine. She got under my palm, under my bed, and under my skin.

— KARINE —

“You want to fix the severed bonds between the mafias? Fine. I’ll marry into the family. That’s the only way Maksim will settle down.”

I love this.

I sit in my father’s office with Luciano’s father across from me. He came here to negotiate, because Maksim is out for blood. Luciano may be able to easily crush my father, but Maksim is equally powerful.

It has been a month since my restaurant crumbled, and my plan is finally blooming.

After checking the rear footage of my car, I found footage of the night Luciano so humiliatingly set my ass on fire. I took photographs of the footage and anonymously sent them to Maksim. My cousin didn’t like what he saw. He may not know me well, but I’m still his blood. He wants revenge.

The man sitting in front of me leans back in his seat. “You’re asking to marry into my family? That is bold of you.”

“I’m not asking. I’m demanding. Maksim will only let this go if we merge families.”

I hear footsteps approach, and a ringed hand claims my shoulder.

“You shouldn’t be sitting on men’s chairs, Karine.”

It’s him.

Hatred braids up my spine, but I don’t react. I don’t want him to confuse it for fear.

“Luciano,” I reply. “I don’t recall inviting you in. Why don’t you wait outside until I’m done talking with your father?”

He laughs at me. He has never taken me seriously. We’ve rarely crossed paths, but I’ve always been the young, short, Russian brat that pushes boundaries— whether it’s my overbearing father, or my 5’0 height. I’m the stupid little girl he branded with his hand and smoldered in his palm by burning her world down.

Luciano’s father stands. “As entertaining as this has been, I came here to talk with your father, not you. And let me warn you, Luciano is not a boy. You should watch your words before you get yourself into trouble.”

I follow him out of the room. “I’m not done speaking with you.”

Before I get far, an arm snakes around my waist, and I’m pulled down to a strong lap. Luciano took my seat.

“That’s better,” he taunts. “So, what were you saying about marriage?”

His hand cups my jaw and tips my head back so I’m looking at him. His crisp suit presses firmly against my PJs. When I heard the Gevonas were on their way, I ran for my father’s office. My outfit be damned.

“You’re going to marry me.” I grasp his wrist and pull it off my face. “Next week.”

My outrageousness makes him grin. “Why would I marry you? And what makes you think you have the power to make such demands?”

“Because you’re thirty and need heirs. Because this is the only way to stop a bloody war with my Maksim that neither of us can afford. Because you know there’s a weird attraction between us.”

He’s a businessman; a master of analysis, so I’m listing benefits as if this was another contract to sign. Logically, I’m a better fit than his girlfriend. There’s an undercurrent of attraction between us— lust that refuses to adhere to hate.

“Let me go. You have no claim to be touching me. Not without a ring.”

He knows it’s true. I’m a mafia princess, and he’s not an official suitor. He did enough by assaulting me.

I push myself off his lap, only to slam down against him when pulls me back. His cologne and pheromones puff around me, so consuming that I’m not sure I’ll live to reach the altar.

“You think you can take me, Karine? I’m ten years older, taller, heavier, and have a dozen more bullet wounds.” His hand squeezes my thigh so I scratch his neck in punishment.

I’m supposed to be mature and collected, but my inner chihuahua barks to the surface. “Bite me, you Italian fucker.”

He leans down and does just that. He bites me right on my neck. Instead of using an engagement ring, he brands me with his teeth.

I gasp at his savageness, and the door slams aside. I hear the cock of a gun.

“What is going on here?!”

It’s my father.

“Luciano, get off my daughter.”

An unconcerned Luciano licks my neck, and I push off his lap. I pull my pajama shorts down my thighs.

“Relax. Both of you.”

“Karine, you should be in bed. What are you doing here?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Negotiating. I’m going to marry a Gevona.”

NEW UPDATE SCHEDULE:

Mafia's Devil-- updates Mon, Tues  The General -- updates Weds, Thurs (skips Thurs this week because I updated it yesterday)

Akdronis (2 chapters remain) & Tiron: Updates sporadically

Alpha Adrian: Updates Sun

If any update day is skipped, it is made up for in a later day of the week